Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2009, 219(2)

High Attendance at a Lifestyle Intervention Program Is Important to Reduce Risks Related to Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged Japanese

HIROKO FUJII,¹ YASUO HARUYAMA,¹ TAKASHI MUTO,¹ EMIKO KOBAYASHI,² KAORI ISHISAKI² and AKIKO YAMASAKI²

¹Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan
²Soka City Health Center, Japan

Evaluating attendance at health education programs is important to obtain a more comprehensive evaluation of the program impact. This study investigated whether attendance at a lifestyle intervention program in a community setting would reduce risks related to metabolic syndrome. Of 545 subjects with risks related to metabolic syndrome, i.e. overweight, hypertension, dyslipidemia or diabetes, participated in this non-randomized control study, 389 subjects aged 40-71 years completed the surveys at baseline and 27 months. Intervention group (39 males and 168 females) was provided 3 individual counseling plus 28 group sessions conducted monthly on average, whereas control group (64 males and 118 females) received only 7 health information newsletters by mail. Intervention group was subcategorized into two groups according to the median attendance (87.1%): 106 subjects with high attendance (93.8 ± 4.7%) and 101 subjects with low attendance (68.6 ± 16.0%). Logistic regression analyses adjusted for age and baseline value showed that among males, the proportion with dyslipidemia risk was lower only in high attendance group compared with that in control group at 27 months [Odds ratio (OR): 0.11 (95%CI 0.02 - 0.51)] and among females, the proportion of overweight was lower only in high attendance group [OR: 0.24 (95%CI 0.07 - 0.81)]. In females, the mean total risk score calculated by adding the number of the 4 risks present decreased only in high attendance group (p < 0.001). In conclusion, high attendance at a lifestyle intervention program impacts the reduction of risks related to metabolic syndrome in a Japanese community setting.

keywords —— Lifestyle; Intervention; Community; Attendance; Metabolic syndrome.

© 2009 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2009, 219, 155-164

Correspondence: Hiroko Fujii, Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu, Shimotsuga, Tochigi, 321-0293, Japan.